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USA: Hearing on reassessing solitary confinement: The human rights, fiscal, and public safety consequences, before the U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights and Human Rights

By Amnesty International, 18 June 2012, Index number: AMR 51/054/2012

In this statement Amnesty International welcomes the opportunity to share its concerns and recommendations on this important issue. The U.S. stands virtually alone in the world in incarcerating thousands of prisoners in long-term or indefinite solitary confinement. Amnesty International believes that holding any individual in long-term isolation absent a severe, continuing threat that cannot be contained by alternative means, is disproportionately harsh. The organization has reviewed conditions in isolation facilities across the United States, and considers many of them to fall far short of minimum standards for humane treatment.